The Lane Kiffin saga continues in the coaching carousel of the 2025 college football season. After firing head coach Billy Napier in October, the Florida Gators targeted Kiffin as their top replacement candidate.
However, whether Kiffin will leave Ole Miss with his recent success with the program remains a hot topic of discussion.
Sports Analyst Delivers Major Update on Lane Kiffin-Florida Talks
Kiffin’s ex-wife, Layla, is a University of Florida alumna, and their son, quarterback prospect Knox Kiffin, has also listed Florida among his top schools. Those ties consistently come up whenever Kiffin is linked to a possible move to Gainesville.
Meanwhile, Graham Hall of 247Sports reported last week that Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin and other department officials recently met with Kiffin’s representatives. On his Sunday podcast, Fox Sports’ Aaron Torres offered his candid take on what it might actually mean for Florida.
“A report of Lane Kiffin’s representative (Jimmy Sexton) meeting with Florida doesn’t mean it was about Lane Kiffin,” Torres said (6:20). “So to me, who does that mean? Well, Brent Key from Georgia Tech is a Jimmy Sexton client. Does that mean that Brent Key is the number one candidate? I don’t know.
“Does that mean that Brent Key will leave Georgia Tech? I don’t know. Does that mean that Florida wants him? I don’t know. What I do know is Florida has to have a contingency plan, and I don’t really know if they have one if it ain’t going to be Lane Kiffin.”
Florida, LSU, and Ole Miss have all reportedly put forward offers to Kiffin worth roughly $13 million annually, including strong NIL commitments. However, ESPN’s Pete Thamel also reported that Kiffin’s decision appears to mainly be between remaining at Ole Miss or moving to LSU, leaving Florida as a less prominent contender.
“The main competition for Ole Miss retaining Kiffin appears to be LSU right now,” Thamel said. “Florida has cast a wide search; they’ve talked to multiple candidates face to face. LSU is focused solely on Kiffin. Florida certainly is still in the mix, but right now, it appears LSU-Ole Miss is the decision that Kiffin is facing.”
Former ESPN analyst Todd McShay also predicted earlier in the week that Kiffin would ultimately become LSU’s next head coach. The Tigers began their search after firing Brian Kelly.
Ole Miss is 10-1Â this season and ranks No. 9 in the PFSN College Football Playoff Ranking. Rebels athletic director Keith Carter said that the school will reveal Kiffin’s future following the Egg Bowl on Friday.
